Antifungal efficacy of natural antiseptic products against Candida auris.

Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen responsible for healthcare-associated infections and outbreaks with high mortality around the world. It readily colonizes the skin, nares, respiratory and urinary tract of hospitalized patients, and such colonization may lead to invasive Candida infection in susceptible patients. However, there is no recommended decolonization protocol for C.

Plaque-neutralizing antibody to BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 in individuals with three doses of BioNTech or CoronaVac vaccines, natural infection and breakthrough infection.

Background: BA.2.12.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant BA.2 neutralisation in sera of people with Comirnaty or CoronaVac vaccination, infection or breakthrough infection, Hong Kong, 2020 to 2022.

BackgroundOmicron subvariant BA.2 circulation is rapidly increasing globally.AimWe evaluated the neutralising antibody response from vaccination or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection against symptomatic infection by BA.

Co-circulation of two SARS-CoV-2 variant strains within imported pet hamsters in Hong Kong.

During the investigation of a pet shop outbreak of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with probable hamster-to-human transmission, the environmental and hamster samples in epidemiologically linked pet shops were found positive for SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant AY.127 strains which are phylogenetically closely related to patients and reported European strains. This interspecies' spill-over has triggered transmission in 58 patients epidemiologically linked to three pet shops.

Complementation of contact tracing by mass testing for successful containment of beta COVID-19 variant (SARS-CoV-2 VOC B.1.351) epidemic in Hong Kong.

Background: Global dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) remains a concern. The aim of this study is to describe how mass testing and phylogenetic analysis successfully prevented local transmission of SARS-CoV-2 VOC in a densely populated city with low herd immunity for COVID-19.

Methods: In this descriptive study, we conducted contact tracing, quarantine, and mass testing of the potentially exposed contacts with the index case.

Prevalence and predictive factors of harboring fluoroquinolone-resistant and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing rectal flora in Hong Kong Chinese men undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy.

Objective: To study the prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant (FQ-resistant) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL-producing) bacteria in the rectums of patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx), identifying predictive factors for such carriage and to correlate with the microbiology of those who developed postbiopsy infection (PBI).

Methods: A total of 371 men undergoing TRUS-Bx were prospectively enrolled from August 2011 to March 2012. Rectal swab was obtained before antimicrobial prophylaxis on the day of biopsy and grown in selective media for resistant bacteria.

Cyclospora infection in a young woman with human immunodeficiency virus in Hong Kong: a case report.

Background: Cyclospora is an uncommon pathogen. The diagnosis of Cyclospora infection can be difficult because of its scarcity in developed countries, intracellular mode of life, small size of the parasite and its inability to take up routine microscopic stains. However, it is endemic in many countries in Asia, Africa, Central and South America.

Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis complicating Salmonella Paratyphi A infection.

Patients with enteric fever frequently develop neurological complications during their illness. Among them, majority has encephalopathy, but focal deficits or peripheral nervous involvements are occasionally encountered. We describe a young woman who developed a neurological syndrome consistent with Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis, with symptoms and signs including convulsion, impaired consciousness, external ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, bulbar palsy and pyramidal signs, following Salmonella Paratyphi A infection.

Coronavirus-positive nasopharyngeal aspirate as predictor for severe acute respiratory syndrome mortality.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has caused a major epidemic worldwide. A novel coronavirus is deemed to be the causative agent. Early diagnosis can be made with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal aspirate samples.